How I Got Addicted to 'Fear Porn'

 It was a dark and gloomy day, somewhere in the early spring of 2020, and 'fear porn' came on TV (German public news) and the thrill/gloom/cold sweat/uneasiness swept over me.  

My pulse picked up.  My anxiety level went from zero....to almost 1.5 (out of ten).  I would compare it to the grocery store being out of Pepsi, or the McDonalds lady telling me that the McRibs weren't possible for that particular day.

The spin?  There's a worldwide epidemic and countless people will pass from this Earth (sooner or later). 

Within a few days, these doctors (virus experts) began to appear nightly on German news and chat forums.  Gone were the gloomy financial idiots, the climate change 'porn' makers, and the people talking of fear of far-right extremism (Nazis, Nazis, Nazis).

Part of me wanted to ask stupid questions, but it didn't seem to really help.

Three months later, then came the 'mask porn', the '1.5-meter social distancing porn', 'no known source in China porn', and the 'cough porn'.  Just standing at a grocery and hearing 'Martin' (the whiny German clerk kid swiping the groceries over the scanner) cough....was enough to set off 'fear porn'.

Having to wear masks in public areas set off more bells and whistles.  My addiction level had gone past '5' on the scale of one to ten.  I started to stay in the house alot.  Just accepting mail or packages from the post-guy.....meant a serious handwash and alcohol doused on my face.  Oddly, I started ordering more things....sometimes worthless items (a Covid-medal from some Italian gift shop, which I gave myself).  This meant the post-guy and Amazon delivery folks came more often.

By mid-fall, 'higher-rate of infection porn' started up, with 'death porn' discussed almost daily.  'Old geezers dying porn' became a regular thing.

I came to appreciate the effort by German public TV, the BBC, CNN, France-24, NBC, MSNBC, ABC and CBS on their 'fear porn' efforts.

Some veterinarian guy came on one of the networks and actually talked 'dog-and-cat infection with Covid-19 fear porn'.  Some weeks later, another guy came on to talk 'lions-get-Covid-19 fear porn'.

In January, my 'fear porn' level dropped a bit....simply because a vaccine now existed.  A month later, it was now obvious that I would not get to the vaccination until mid-summer-fear porn.  

Around Easter, Covid-19 finally arrived on my door-step.  I had it.  For around ten days, I had a marginalized feel-bad....number two-level flu-like situation.  On fear-porn levels....this was a '2' out of a ten.

To be kinda honest, ever since that point (maybe 5 weeks ago)....my fear porn level.....not matter what I read or see on TV....doesn't rise much above a '1' on a scale to ten.

My addiction?  Well.....it just kinda sits there.  I admit, I'd like to watch some CNN Doctor-Doom talk about Covid-19, but in terms of enjoying the fear porn....it's not there.  Did the addiction just go away?  I don't even need rehab or to join some Covid-Anonymous club?  Probably not. 

Amazon Buying MGM Studios?

 What's it mean?

Well....MGM has this vault of literally thousands of productions (from 1920s to now), and Amazon could go off and create another streaming network (or two) that features OLD movies.

An example?  You could start a network that only features movies from the 1930s.  There's probably a thousand movies from that era alone.  Another network could feature only movies from the 1940s.  

Taking streaming video to a whole new level?  

Binge Series

 Over the past five days, I've done a 'binge-watch' of a South Korean series (1-season so far made) of '100 Days My Prince'.  

Netflix in the past four or five months put it up and I decided to watch one segment, and then I was hooked.  

So, here's the thing....it's entirely in Korean....with English sub-text.  Some folks may have a problem with that.

The script?  Five star and it kinda surprised me on the angles to the story.  There's plenty of twists and turns.  

Landscape?  Interesting, and they made a lot of effort to convince you of a period from 500 years ago.

Acting?  Well....it goes from four-star to two-star.  The story carries the bulk of this series.  A second season?  The hint is that they will produce another year.  I should note it's from the 2018 season.  

So if you were sitting around and wanted a binge-worthily program....I'd strongly recommend it.  

Trump-Harris Polling

 It's basically a 3-line story with no real shock value.

A poll was done....Donald Trump in 2024, against Kamala Harris.

Trump wins easily.

Why?  That's mostly left out.  I suspect if you asked people about Harris's first 100 days in the VP chair and what she did.....there's not much other than attending meetings and being recognized as the 'border-guru'.

Did most Democrats expect anything otherwise?  I seriously doubt it.  I don't think she was selected for talents, skills, or past achievements.  She was the female of color among a dozen women, and Biden simply picked her.  Beyond that....on the VP lists of the past hundred years.....she's just not that well noted at this point.

Is this leading to a problem?  Well....if we get to November 2022 and the Republicans win the House back....it's going to be a five-star issue.  I can't see Joe Biden running again, and it's a fair short list for replacements.  

Ten Observations

 1.  Looked at gold prices today?  $1880 per ounce....probably highest of past four months.

2.  Rather odd....some admitting in the Democratic Party that house seats they lost in Novembers election....came because of 'defund-the-police' efforts.  Shocking, huh?

3. Total student college debt is $1.4-trillion presently.  Wouldn't shock me if it reaches 2-trillion by the end of 2022.

4.  Back in 2017....some journalists in Japan started to discuss openly....a 'mask addiction'.....where no mandate or rule existed, but people wore the mask because they were addicted to it.  

It's rather odd....we are reaching this point in the US now.

5.  ABC (the network) came up this week and kinda admitted....they are not that sure about advertising income for the Oscar Show.  Between the lecture business and impact statements made during the shows of the past decade....no one really cares to watch it. 

So the income from the Oscars telecast is crap.  It'll probably still go on in 2022, but if the trend holds....it wouldn't shock me if the three networks all decline it in 2023.

6.  This idea of a permanent National Guard presence in DC?  It's a hard sell to Congress in general.  There's enough votes to get up and running for the next two years.  I anticipate in 2023....with the GOP running the House....the concept will be dumped.

7.  US government hiring 'care-givers' for new Latino kids who arrived?  Yes, starting off with 250.  I would take a guess that by December...it'll be up near 3,000 of them.  Who is really qualified as a 'care-giver'?  That's not clear.  

I would go and suggest that half of the first 250 hired....will be gone within six months....too much stress and chaos for the pay-scale.

8.  Stacey Abrams writes novels?  Well....yeah.  Political thrillers.  Apparently, new contract coming up and she'll write two more political thrillers.  

How people get all excited or hyped with political novels?  Beyond me.  Course, people probably said this over Fred Gipson when he wrote Old Yeller. 

9.  Some people are talking over the quality of TV programs and suggest it's the lowest creativity point since the 1950s.  It wouldn't surprise me if we end up with a talking dogs show, or bringing back Password for prime-time.

10.  NBA ratings seriously down, and not expected to resolve anything.  

Struggle Sessions?

 Almost a hundred years ago....in the newly proclaimed Soviet Union....the communist folks came up with this idea to introduce their method of running things, and it meant arriving in towns, village and cities....convincing people that they needed to confess to certain thing (self-humiliation really)....to rise out of the ashes.

As the years passed, and Mao arrived to remake the Chinese government....this idea of self-humiliation came up and they redesigned it....calling it 'struggle sessions'.

The basic idea?  You'd take general public opinion and just destroy the hell out of it....getting people humiliate themselves, their relatives, friends, and co-workers. Everywhere....there would be enemies of the public.

The idea here?  Everyone was a victim as they exited the struggle session.  And they stayed victims....in order to appear 'in-tune' with the game being played out.

Struggle sessions were held at work, in the local neighborhood, and even at large arenas/stadiums.  

If you stand back today.....wokeness is basically the struggle sessions in a modern day society.  

Funny how history repeats itself.  But if you asked college professors about the struggle sessions....I doubt if you'd find more than a thousand in the entire US who know of the Chinese history, and how it changed society.

Usefulness of Useless Knowledge

 I was sitting and reading a piece yesterday, which led to the idea that there is value or useful purpose....if you were going out to gain useless knowledge.

This actually came out of a book from late 1930s, and it was an open discussion that maybe some experiment or project led to a simple report of zero value today, but sat around for an era and is picked up....to  advance some highly valued project in decades to come.  

It'd be like you doing a garage experiment to find some other type of air conditioning 'element' that was workable but less toxic.  You wrapped this up successfully but found that this was ten times more expensive....so you published the idea but it just sat there.  Years later, the cost factor drops by 90-percent and it suddenly has value.

Out there in the bold world we live in....there's probably tens of millions of people across the globe....working to gather useless knowledge.  To be honest....some of what they work up....WILL NEVER have value and be terribly wasted efforts.  Some will have marginal value, and some will have tremendous value (coming maybe years after the guy's death).

So it is in our best interest to be 'kind' to these individuals and urge them on....even if we see the value of this today as totally wasted.  

I know it goes against our very nature....to discourage stupid work, or work without value.  But you just can't tell....that crazy cousin of yours might come up with some idea that might make Pepsi an actual healthy drink to consume, or get the magic formula to eat 10,000 calories per day but get the body to burn that intake as quickly as it comes in.